Folding screen.



C. GRUMPTON, DEGD.` J. BENNETT, ADMINISTRATOR,

FOLDING SCREEN. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3,1909.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

C. GRUMPTON, DBGD.

J'. BENNETT, ADMINISTRATOR.

FOLDING SCREEN.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 3,1909.

Paiena A131125, 1911.

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JAMES BENNETT, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ADMINISTRATOR OF CHARLES CRUMPTON,DECEASED, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARY L. BENNETT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING SCREEN.

Specification of Letters Ifatent. Patented Apr. 25, lgl".

Application filed February 3, 1909. Serial No. 475,902.

Illinois, administrator of the estate of CHARLES GRUMr'roN, deceased,late a citizenof the United States, resident of Chicago, county of Cook,State of Illinois, who 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements inFolding Screens, do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

ihe invention relates to folding screens but more particularly Vto anornamental screen which is so arranged and constructed that it can befolded into a number of differentforms and positions, either for thepurpose ofserving as an ordinary screen, or a cabinet, or a householdornament.

"With this object in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction' of the leaves or sections of the screen, and in the novelarrangement for connecting the same together.

The invention also consists in certain other novel details ofconstruction and in -combinations of parts, all of which will be firstfully described and afterward specifically pointed out in the appendedclaim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspectiveviewshowing the screen with a removable table attachment. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of screen showing the same in one of its many positions. Fig.3 is a perspective view illustrating the screen folded to form a cabinetand illustrating clothes hooks thereon. Fig. 4 is a vertical fragmentarysectional view showing the construction for attaching clothes hooks tothe screen. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the screenshowing the construction for attaching table to the screen. Fig. 6 is avertical sectional view through one of the screen leaves or sections.Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the screen employed an ornament,and supporting flowers, and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary View illustratingthe construction for arranging the flower stand on the four leaves orsections of the screen.

Cook and State of f Like numerals of reference indicate the same partsthroughout the several figures in whicln- 1 indicates the screencomprising four leaves or sections 2, 3, 4 and, it of course beingunderstood that more than four sections can be employed wherever it isydesired to have a screen of extra length.

Each of the sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 comprises two vertical posts orpieces 6 and one upper piece 7 and a lower piece 8, the upper and lowerpieces 7 and 8 are as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 provided with alongitudinal slot 9, while the upright pieces `or posts 6 are providedwith a deep groove 10 on their inner edges as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

11 indicates a screen material which may be of any fancy texture, suchas silk, tapestry or the like. said material being secured around a rod12 at each end thereof, the upper ends 13 of the vertical side pieces 6of each leaf or section being offset at 14 in order to form aI stop forthe upper rod 12, while a suitable stop 15 is arranged in each of thegrooves 10 in the vertical pieces 6 against which stops a simple jack 16is arranged, said jack 16 engaging the lower rod 12 to hold the same inposition and toadequately stretch the screen material 11.

As shown in Fig. 6 two stops 17 are arranged within the grooves 10 toreceive suitable hooks 18 which are pivoted under the table leaf 19 atthe corners thereof, said hooks beingarranged in such manner that thefree ends thereof will enter the grooves 10and rest `upon the stops 17,thus securely supporting the table leaf as clearly shown in Fig. 1

When the screen is employed in the capacity of a cabinet the clothesrack 20 can be conveniently employed, said clothes rack comprising arack piece 21 carrying'a series of suitable hooks 22, said rack piecealso being provided on the rear edge thereof with two or more largehooks 23 which conform to the upper piece 7 of one of the screensections. By means of this construction the yclothes rack can beinstantly attached or removed ,fronr the screen.

When utilizing the screen as a household ornament to receive flowers andthe like, as

shown in Fig. 7, a. support 24 is provided y which comprises a stand 25having four depending legs 26 triangular in cross section in order toconform to the angles of the screen leaves or sections as clearly shownin Figs.

7 and 8. I

The construction for connecting the sev- 5 eral legs or sections of thescreen comprises a series of flexible straps 27 arranged near the upperandlower edges of each of the screen sections, and by reference to Figs.1 and 5 the arran ement of these straps will be apparent. eferring tothe end leaf or section 2 it will be seen that the upper strap 27 issecured to the outer or end piece 6 extending.

along the horizontal frame piece 7 crossing between the two leavesor-sections 2 and 3 and secured to the adjacent frame piece 6 of thesection-3 at-the point 28. This arrangementis duplicated by a strap4 27along the bottom edge of the section 2. The section 3 is provided withva similar strap 27 which is secured near the upright piece 6 of section2 extending along the upper edge of section 3 turning the inner upright.piece 6 of section 3 and secured thereto. This arrangement isduplicated by -means of the similar 215I strap 27 along the bottom edgeof section 3. A similar strap 27 is provided on section 4, said strapbeing secured to the inner frame piece 6 on said section extending alongthe edge of the frame piece 7 and secured to sec- 30 tion 5 at 29, asimilar strap 27 being arranged in like manner along the bottom edge ofthe screen section 4. A similar strap 27 is provided on section 5 alongthe upper edge thereof,I one end of said strap being secured to section4, the strap extendingalong the upper edge of section 5 turning theouter corner of the vertical frame piece 6 and suitably secu'ed thereto,a similar strap l27 being arranged along the bottom edge of 40 screensection 5; while the end sections 2 and 5 'are provided, each with asingle strap 27 along the top and bottom edges thereof.

vThe inner or central sections 3 and 4 are each provided with two straps27 along the top and bottom edges thereof and by refer- -ence to Fig. 5the construction will be apparent. The strap 27 is secured near theouter side .of the screen section 3-at the oint 30 passing along theA uper portion o theV screen section and secure` tothe screen section 4 atthe point 31; while the strap. 27 on the section 4 is secured to section3 near the edge thereof at the point 32 extending along the upper edgeof said section 4-be1ng securednear the edge thereof at the point 33. Itwill be understood that the stra s 27 above referred to are securedtothe rame pieces at their ends only. This arrangement of straps isduplicated in the lower edges of sections 3 and 4; kBy means 0f thisarrangement the screen leaves or sections'can be arranged in a number ofdifferent positions as shown in Figs. 2,' 3, 5 and 7,4thereby providinga screen which can be put to a vast number of uses, and a screen whichis` extremely ornamental.

Having thus fully described the invention whatis claimed as new andVdesired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is In afoldingscreen, the combination of a plurality of screen sections, eachsection having vertical frame-pieces and horizontal end frame-pieces,said vertical frame-pieces having vertical grooves in their inner edgesacross which grooves are arranged stops, means for connecting togethersaid leaves or sections for folding one upon the other, and a shelfadapted to be received between any two adjoining `leaves or sections,said shelf being provided upon its underside with hooks one arranged ateach corner-edge y "thereof, said hooks each having one arm pivoted to acorner-edge of the shelf, the parallel arm of such hook taking int-o thecontiguous groove of a screen section or leaf above a stop.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa' ture, in presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES BENNETT,

Administrator, (2c. Witnesses: Y

W. M. FARMER,

ELIZABETH JOHNSTON.

